Order-carrier



J. LAMONT.

ORDER CARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 29. l9l8' 1,314,965. I lzltuntvdSvpt. 2,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

awuentoz James Lamont w Wham abl oma e1 4 J. LAMONT.

ORDER CARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 29, l9l8. 1,314,965. lutvntmlfivpt. 2, 1919.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

51 Pimento 1 James Lamont 35% WMW.

(liter/"M34 J. LAMONT.

ORDER CARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 29. 19111.

latvntvd Sept. 2, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 avwantoz I James Lamont W/(JXW JAMES LAMONT, 0F FLAT RIVER, MISSOURI.

ORDER-CARRIER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

'Application filed October 29, 1918. Serial 1T0. 260,101.

To all whomz't may concem:

Be it known that I, JAMES LAMONT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Flat River, Saint Francois county, and State of Missouri, have invented and discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Order- Carriers, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my said invention is to provide a means for facilitating service in restaurants, and performing by mechanical means a large proportion of the work that heretofore has been done manually, thus conserving labor, and greatly facilitating the despatch of business as well as increasing the efficiency of the service, all as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which are made a part hereof and on which similar reference characters indicate similar P Figure 1 is a view illustrating in a diagrammatic manner the use of my said invention in a restaurant,

Fig. 2, a detail view showing in side elevation the arrangement of the carrier tracks and trolley wires and their mechanism,

Fig. 3, an end elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 2,

Fig. 4, a view alongside one of the tables in a restaurant showing the carrier means in end elevation,

Fig. 5, is a diagrammatical view of the carrier track,

Fig. 6, a side elevation of an order holder,

Fig. 7, a detail view of the order carrier track,

Fig. 8, a cross section on the dotted line 88 in Fig. 7, 1

gig. 9, a view illustrating the order cards, an

Fig..10, an edge view of same.

In said drawings the portions marked A represent the tables, B the order card holders, C the order card carrier track, and D the service carrier. 1

In the use of this invention the tables A are arranged in rows throughout the length of the dining room or restaurant, the tables in each row being numbered, and a carrier service being provided for each row of tables. The carrier service mechanism which is herein shown and described will be duplicated for each row of tables, but the illustration of one such set of mechanism will be suflicient for all to enable the complete arrangement for the dining room or restaurant to be fully understood.

The order holders B are cabinets of the form shown, or any appropriate form, adapted to hold the order cards 10 and 11 etc. The other cards 10 are designed for a main order and are provided in considerable number so that the customer can select a card indicating, as shown in Fig. 9, a meat and such other things as will commonly go with such an order. ranged in the power part of the cabinet and printed to indicate the vegetables or side dishes that go with the main order. These cards are provided to save the customer the labor of writing an order, the order being indicated by the one large card 10 .and as many small cards 11 as the customer may select, which are secured to the edge of the large card before it is sent to the order room or kltchen in the manner indicated in Fig. 9, one end of each card being split to form three fingers, and the fingers slid on to the edge of the card as shown. The cabinets B may, of course, be adapted for holding other things needed in the table service, as will be readily understood. Its upperportion preferably revolving on its base 6 for convenience.

The form of the track 0 is best illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, being a hollow member with inturned horizontal flanges 12, on its lower edges providing a longitudinal slot 13 between them. Adjacent to each table the track is provided with a hinged door 14 through which a truck consisting of two wheels 15 mounted to roll on axle 16 may be inserted. A plate 17 depends from the axle 16 between the trucks 15 and extends through the slot 13 in the track C and has a spring clamp 18 on its lower edge for securing the order cards 10 thereto. The customer picks out the cards representing the order he desires and may himself attach the order to one of the trucks by means of the clamp 18 and insert it in the track C, or this may be done by a waiter who is on the floor looking after the service. The track C is arranged on an incline so that the trucks will roll by gravitv with the orders to the order room or kitchen. At a point just ahead of each door 14 a spring-mounted stop-pin 19 is provided which is pushed in'before the door 14 is opened to insert the order-carrying truck in order to stop any orders coming from the point aheadof the door while 1t is op The small cards 11 are ar- 1 When the door is closed, the pin is automatically returned by the spring and leaves the track clear for the orders to roll to the order room or kitchen. I

The service carrier D consists of an appropriate frame provided with supports for tor 50 embodied in said truck with the elecv tri'c power for operating said carrierv D.

A switch rod-25', having a series of radlal arms 26 projecting therefrom at spaced distances apart, ismounted alongside the trolley wire in a position sothat one of sald arms 26 when turned to proper position will contact with an arm 27 on the trolley, throw the trolley free from the trolley wire and disconnect the power from the motor at any point where such a contact occurs, and also serve as a stop for the car.

Rod 26 is connectedby a belt or chain 28 with a-wheel 29, having a crank 30 located adj acent to the-serving table in the kitchen or serving room. Said wheel 29 has a series of numbers on its face, as shown in Fig. 3, corresponding to the number of the pins projecting from the rod 25 and said pins also correspond to the number of the tables in the row to be served, so that the operator can set switch-rod 25 to throw the trolley and stop the-car at any table desired in the line.

When the chef or party serving the order receives the order from the order truck C, he makes it up and places the dishes containing the order in one of the order car.- riers D, and connects the trolley 23 with the wire 24 which energizes the motor and starts theorder carrier D on the way to the table designated. By turning wheel 29 to indicate the number of table, the switch-operating mechanism is positioned so thatwhen the order carrier D reaches the table desired, the trolley is thrown and the current shut off and the carrier stopped where the waiter can remove the dishes and place them upon the table for the customers service.

The dishes may be returned to the kitchen on the same carriers by turning the trolley 23 around, which operates a reversing switch 51 that sends the current through the motor in the reverse direction.

By this mechanism thelabor of carrying the orders and the dishes back and forth from the tables to the kitchen is avoided, the service. is .secured in a more orderly, systematic and rapid manner, and the labor of several waiters is avoided with the consequell-t. expense.

1. A service apparatus for restaurants comprising a carrier adapted to travel on.

tracks arranged adjacent to a row of tables, an electric motor mounted on said carrier for operating the same, a trolley on said motor and a trolley wire adjacent to the track on which said motor is mounted connected with the electric power, and selectively interposed means for turning ofl said power automatically at any table desired in the row, substantially as set forth.

2. A service apparatus for restaurants, comprising a track mounted adjacent to a row of tables, a carrier mounted to run on said track, a motor for operating said carrier, 'a trolley wire for supplying power to said inotor, a trolley for connecting said motor with said trolley wire, and selectively interposed means for automatically disconnecting the trolley from the trolley wire at any table on. the line, substantially as set forth.

3. An apparatus for serving a row of tables, comprising a track, a wheeled carrier mounted on said track, an electric motor for operating said carrier. atrolley'wire for supplying power to said motor, a trolley for connecting the motor to the trolley wire,

means for disconnecting said trolley from said trolley wire at any table on the line and applying brakes to said wheels, and a switch for, reversing the power through the motor whereby the carrier may be operatedin either direction, substantially as set forth.

4. A carrier apparatus comprising a track,

a wheeled carriage movable upon the track, an article carrier dependingrfrom the carriage, means for propelling the carriage, and means to selectively interpose an obstruction at predetermined points to interrupt the propelling means and apply the brakes.

5. In a' carrier apparatus a track. a wheeled carriage movable upon the track, a motor provided for driving the carriage, a

trolley wire adjacent the track, a trolley forming contact between the trolley wire and the motor, and means to interpose an ob-' struction at predetermined selective points to disconnect the trolley from .the wire and apply braking apparatus to the carriage.

6. In acarrier apparatus a track, a carriage' movable along the track, a motor provided for propelling the carriage, a trolley wire in 'uxtaposition to the track, a trolley carriedy the carriage and making traveling contact with the trolley wire, a shaft located adjacent the-trolley wire, fingers carried by the shaft extending therefrom along different radii, and means to turn the shaft to bring one of the fingers selectively into position to detach the trolley from the wire.

7. In' a carrier apparatus a track, a wheeled carriage movable along the track, a motor carried by and adapted to propel the carriage, a trolley wire located adjacent to the track, a trolley pivotally mounted upon the carriage and adapted to make traveling contact with the trolley wire, a wire located adjacent the trolley wire and provided at spaced points with fingers extending therefrom along different radii, and means to r0- tate the shaft to interpose selectively any one of the fingers into position to detach the trolle from the wire.

8. carrier apparatus com rislng a track, a wheeled carria e movable a ong the track,

a motor moun upon and adapted to pro- Goplu at this patent may be obtained for pel the carriage, a trolley wire supported adjacent the track, a trolley pivoted upon the carriage and adapted to make travelin contact with thetrolley wire, brakes carri upon the carriage and adapted to be applied to the wheels by the oscillation of the trolley, a shaft mounted adjacent the trolley mm, a plurality of fingers secured to the shaft at predetermined spaced points and extending outwardly therefrom along different radii, and means to rotate the shaft to interpose selectively any one of the several fin ers into position to disconnect thetrolley roin the wire and apply the brakes to the'wheel by the oscillation of the trolley. In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal at Washington, District of Columbia, this twenty-eighth day of September, A. D. nineteen hundre'dand eighteen.

JAMES LAMONT. m

Witnesses:

CHAS. E. Rronuon, E. W. BRADFORD.

five cents each, by addreinin: the "commissioner of Patents, m m, D. 0." 

